1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to eyewear frames and lenses. More particularly, the present invention relates to an eyewear assembly in which a single lens or single set of lenses can be inserted and removed from behind a single frame or a plurality of frames, which single frame or plurality of frames may or may not already contain a lens or lenses. In addition, the present invention relates to an eyewear assembly in which a lens, a set of lenses or multiple sets of lenses can be inserted and removed from behind a single frame or a plurality of frames, which single frame or plurality of frames may or may not already contain a lens or set of lenses.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cost of quality prescription lenses has risen dramatically in the past ten years. Many people who wear eyeglasses today desire so-called progressive lenses in which the power of the lens varies along the surface of the lens. Unfortunately, progressive lenses are more expensive than ordinary prescription lenses or bifocal lenses. Additionally, a type of thin lens that is designed to replace a relatively thicker lens also is available but has an elevated cost. Further, coatings and the like can be added to a lens to, for example, reduce glare or allow the lens to change tint. These coatings also increase the cost of the lens.
At the same time, people who wear eyeglasses often purchase more than one pair of eyeglasses for different functional and aesthetic reasons. For instance, different eyeglasses may be purchased to increase strength or comfort, to alter the fit or the weight, to vary the flexibility or the rigidity or to provide a different aesthetic look by changing the shape of the frame or the coloring of the frame. This, of course, requires the purchase of a complete set of eyewear, including the frame and the expensive prescription lenses.
On the other hand, some people purchase more than one pair of eyewear having a single style of frame but use one of the frames for tinted lenses and the other for non-tinted lenses. Of course, these people must then carry both pair of eyewear and must absorb the additional costs associated with the second frame. In recent years, one attempt to solve this problem has been the creation of prescription eyewear assemblies that include a secondary set of non-prescription lenses that attach to the front side of the primary eyeglass frame. Although this does alleviate the necessity of carrying two complete pairs of eyeglasses, there are many undesirable features associated with this solution. Firstly, the wearer is forced to wear two pairs of lenses simultaneously, instead of having the ability to substitute one type of lens for another. Secondly, in the case where it may be desirable to combine two different types of lenses and wear them simultaneously, the frontal attachment of the second set of lenses is very obvious and unsightly. Accordingly, it would be desirable to hide the second set of lenses from view when wearing two sets of lenses is desired. Another undesirable defect of attaching the second set of lenses to the front side of the eyeglass frame is that wind and other physical forces or objects often come into contact with these secondary lenses and cause them to accidentally detach from the frame, often resulting in damage to these lenses, and hence, their costly replacement. Another issue that has arisen with respect to eyewear is that the frames, as they have become more stylish, have become very expensive. As a result, it would be desirable to have less expensive alternatives available.